The field of art to which the invention pertains relates to industrial trucks, and more particularly to operator seat and control lever assembly for use on such vehicles.
Full and open access to the power source compartment of sit-down rider lift trucks for servicing and in particular replacement of power source batteries in electric trucks is an important part of the design of such lift trucks. Such components as the cover hood, hydraulic control levers and seat have been heretofore mounted for pivotal movement outside of the vertical cube of the source battery, for example, in such devices as are disclosed in co-pending U.S. applications Ser. No. 136,013, filed Mar. 31, 1980 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,418, and Ser. No. 209,748 filed Nov. 24, 1980 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,121, common assignee, and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,605,008, 3,610,359 and 4,076,302. Movement of the hood, seat and control valve bank to non-interfering positions is disclosed in the first named patent application, movement of the seat and hood to non-interfering positions is disclosed in the second named patent application, movement of valve control means to non-interfering positions in pedestrian and stand-up rider battery power lift trucks is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,605,008 and 3,610,359, and pivotal movement of the seat and overhead guard is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,302.
In none of such devices and combinations is the problem addressed of positively locking out of operative position lift truck control levers upon the pivotal actuation in a forward direction of the seat and control levers.